


The Riverman

by Alex_sandra_Winly



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017), Twin Peaks
Genre: Drama, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, Family Secrets, Secrets
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-17 03:07:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29960019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alex_sandra_Winly/pseuds/Alex_sandra_Winly
Summary: Imagine a mix of Riverdale and Twin Peaks. Cheryl Blossom is a scandalously famous artist who is stalked by a psychopath. In desperation, the girl leaves New York and takes refuge in the family mansion in the gloomy town of Twin Rivers, where everyone literally hates anyone with the Blossom surname.Tony Topaz is the FBI special agent entrusted by Betty Cooper to handle her cousin's case. Will she be able to settle her differences with Cheryl, or will their conflict ruin both girls, allowing the maniac to prevail?The characters don't belong to me.
Relationships: Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones, Cheryl Blossom/Toni Topaz
Comments: 4
Kudos: 8





	The Riverman

**Author's Note:**

> English is not my first language, so please apologize in advance for any mistakes.  
> If you watched the original Twin Peaks and know that Riverdale is an adapted version of this series, you should enjoy it. I would be very grateful for your feedback!!!

"Welcome to Twin Rivers! You'll want to stay here forever!" - reads a slightly faded sign from the '50s at the entrance to town. It was probably intended as a friendly greeting, but something about it scares you to the bone.  
\- Diane, this is Special Agent Topaz speaking, can you hear me? Over! - The police radio grunts pathetically as it struggles to pick up the wave. After a couple of pathetic attempts, it goes completely silent. It's got to be those damn woods. All she sees is a solid wall of majestic pines and maples ever since she turned off the highway toward Lane County. There must not be many communication towers here and their weak signal is drowned out by the trees. And then there's the fog. That damn gooey milky pall hanging over the road makes Tony turn on his high beams during the day. The bureau sure won't like the gas bills. Frowny clouds cover the sun most of the day, making it darker early and making Toni want to sleep all the time. She's been on the road for 24 hours and has yet to be met by any decent motel along the way. Suddenly the trees part, allowing the girl to see a red bridge over a gloomy, full-flowing river. It must be flowing farther into the Canadian mountains to become a furious waterfall there. 

Topaz sighs in relief; just beyond the bridge she is greeted by a gray one-story building, which must be a motel, but she will look into it later. Right now it's important to make sure her ward is safe.  
Single-story, similar houses, gray dilapidated buildings: stores, city hall, a barbershop, it seems that people here have not heard that it is the 21st century, and the streets are full of electric lights instead of gas lamps. It was as if she were in a black-and-white movie from the 80s, in a typical American town where everyone knows each other and doesn't trust strangers. Stopping at a traffic light, she noticed for a moment that the clock on the dashboard of the car showed only 4 pm, and in the air was already thickening dusk and the streets were deserted. Not a soul had crossed her path since she had entered the city. Turning off the engine, Toni parked the car in front of a diner with a bright neon sign. Inside, it smelled like fresh coffee and french fries. Toni's stomach did a backflip for a moment, rumbling pitifully. The last time she'd eaten a hundred miles away and it had been a rarely lousy meal. The bell above the doors squeaked pitifully, attracting the attention of the staff.  
\- May I help you? - A young dark-skinned girl in a yellow apron appeared behind the counter. Her hair was gathered into a tight ponytail, and her eyes were intently studying the unfamiliar figure, trying to figure out what the stranger was doing on her diner doorstep.  
\- Antoinette Topaz, FBI Special Agent and I think I'm a little lost," Toni hesitantly approached the counter. The woman didn't seem to believe her, continuing to scan the girl with her gaze. Toni hastily showed her badge.  
\- Tabitha Tate. Well, welcome, agent. What's wrong? - She asked worriedly, rubbing her apron.  
\- No, ma'am, I'm looking for someone, or rather the place where she lives. How do I get to the Thornhill estate?  
For a second Toni thought Tabitha Tate knew something, she glanced nervously at the agent and then at the road in the window behind her.  
\- Up the road, toward the hill. You can already make out a large mansion on it from here. That's Thornhill.  
\- Thank you. 

Toni hurriedly left the diner and went to the address given. The closer she got to the estate, the fewer buildings she saw outside her window. When she parked at the big wrought iron gate with the letter "B" on it, it was already pitch black outside the window. As she scrambled to find the call button, Toni waited patiently for an answer.  
\- Thornhill Manor. If you have something to sell, we don't buy anything. So please leave the grounds, this is private property," she wasn't even listened to, cutting off the connection.  
Toni irritably pressed the call button again.  
\- Ma'am, listen. I'm not selling anything. My name is Antoinette Topaz, and I'm a special agent with the FBI. I was sent here by the NYPD. You either open this goddamn gate or I'll be back in the morning with a search warrant and then...  
Toni couldn't finish the sentence, because the gate swung open with a nasty creak. The surprised girl pressed the gas pedal, believing that she would reach the mansion in seconds, but the size of the mansion stunned her. It wasn't until ten minutes later that the trees parted and the first outbuildings appeared out of the darkness. Toni could only guess how many acres the Blossom family owned, if it took about half an hour to get all the way to the mansion. An elderly woman in a gray suit was already waiting for her by the stone porch. Her gray hair was gathered into a tight bump and her thin lips were pressed into a firm line. She might have been the one who had rude to Toni over the remote connection and was clearly not happy to be waiting for the girl now in the middle of the deserted terrace.  
\- Antoinette Topaz," Toni opened her wallet, exposing her FBI badge.  
\- Closer, please, I'm blind, Miss Topaz," the woman tossed coldly. Toni simply handed her the badge, hoping it would be enough to get to the point.  
\- Agatha Livingston, manager. To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit to Thornhill Manor, Miss Topaz?  
\- I need to speak to Miss Blossom.  
\- Oh, that's quite impossible. Young Miss Cheryl isn't seeing anyone. You can e-mail her or contact our executor if your visit is of a legal nature," the manager cut her off.  
\- You misunderstand me, ma'am. It's not a question," the anger gradually began to grow inside the girl. She was bloody exhausted from the long drive and the lack of rest in the last twenty-four hours. If this stubborn woman continued to argue with her, she wasn't promising to keep a polite tone. - I have an order from the federal district attorney, and it directs that I have complete discretion in the investigation I'm conducting. If you resist me, I will be forced to take action. Is that clear?  
\- Like the sky on a summer's day, Miss Topaz. Show me the warrant, please, and I'll escort you inside," Toni almost rolled her eyes. She certainly didn't like this town and its strange inhabitants.  
After the formalities were over, Agatha invited her to proceed inside. Now Toni was enjoying the heat emanating from the huge fireplace in the middle of the living room.  
\- I announced your arrival to Miss Cheryl. She was probably about to go to bed, so you'll have to wait until she's cleaned up. I'd offer you food, but we've already had dinner, so all I can do is send the housekeeper to make you some tea or coffee.  
\- Nothing necessary, thank you," Toni didn't want to endure the woman's presence for at least another minute.  
\- As you wish," with these words the old woman disappeared into the dark corridor. 

Toni was struck by how gloomy the place seemed. Most of the lights were candles and candelabras, which were currently extinguished. Didn't the inhabitants here know that people had long had the benefit of electricity, not to mention communications? She checked her phone, sadly noticing the dying battery. There were a couple of missed calls on the display from the man who was supposed to meet her at the entrance to this creepy town, but never got around to keeping his promise. 

\- So what the hell are you doing here? - A harsh female voice made the agent jump in place. Standing in front of her was probably one of the most beautiful women in the world, and she was clearly very angry. Her flawless red hair cascaded down her thin shoulders covered by a dark cape. Dainty, slender arms intertwined on her chest.  
\- Miss Blossom, my name is Antoinette Topaz...  
\- I don't care what your name is. I said, what are you doing here? - The redhead didn't let her finish her sentence, thus erasing any pleasant emotion from her first impression of herself.  
\- I'm investigating a case assigned to me," Toni coldly threw the prosecutor's decree on the table in front of the redhead. The girl ran her eyes over the document incredulously.  
\- "It's ridiculous. It doesn't make any sense. Investigate as much as you like, just outside of Thorneyhill. So, bye-bye. - With a fake smile, she tossed the paper back.  
\- Miss Blossom. I don't intend to play games now, so I'll be perfectly straightforward. This is not the silly antics of a pimply teenage fetishist or even a common stalker. This man broke into your apartment and cut off your hair. He did God knows what else while you were asleep, and then he just disappeared. And if he's the one we're looking for, you could be in grave danger.  
For a second, Cheryl froze. Her cheekbones tensed and moisture pooled in her eyes. She hastily turned away from the fireplace, wiping away the treacherous tears. She didn't seem so sure of herself now.  
\- How did you know about the hair... No one was supposed to know," she murmured softly, turning more to the flames than to the night visitor.  
\- I told her," a young girl in a gray FBI jacket appeared in the living room. Her blond hair was slicked back in a neat ponytail and her hands were clutching her cell phone.  
\- Tony, sorry, my phone died and there was an emergency call, but I'm glad I found you here!  
\- Of course, I should have known. My own cousin rushed to tell all the tramps in the world about my little tragedy. Cooper, do you even know what the word "confidentiality" means?! - Now all the anger of the mistress of the manor came down on the blonde.  
\- That's why Cheryl, you're talking to Tony right now. Knowing our delicate situation, I couldn't trust the safety of my only relative to a stranger. Toni is the best agent the prosecutor recommended to me personally, and she will keep all the information confidential.  
\- Then get her to sign a nondisclosure form first," the redhead spat out. "I don't care about your detective games," she walked right up to the couch where Toni sat, her head bowed so that their eyes were level. Tongues of flame danced on her face," "Listen up, Clarissa Starling. Rule one: you stay as far away from me and Thornhill as possible. Rule two: we communicate by e-mail and as a last resort. Rule three: I hate cops, I don't take bribes, and I just want to be left alone. Got it?  
\- Now you listen to me," Toni was pissed off. She wanted to wipe the cocky smirk off the redheaded bitch's face. She moved close enough to her face that she could feel her confused breathing," You insolent, spoiled bitch, I've been driving here for twenty-four hours nonstop, eating nothing and dead tired. Instead of sleeping peacefully now, I dragged myself down here in the middle of the night to make sure you were really okay, because that's what agents who are trusted to protect another person's life do. And I understand that you're probably not used to things not going the way you want them to, but from now on, you're going to have to cooperate. Whether you want to or not, I don't care.  
With those words, Toni abruptly got up from the couch, silently nodding to the blonde to follow her.  
\- We'll see about that. I'll call a lawyer right now and tomorrow morning you'll be running around begging for some kind of job because you'll be fired from the goddamn service, do you understand? - Cheryl's voice was literally saturated with anger and disgust. Toni pretended not to hear her speech, just slammed the front door. They walked to the car in silence.

\- Betty, I'm sorry you heard that, and I think I screwed up. You shouldn't have snapped," Toni ran her hand irritably through her pink strands.  
\- Toni, she won't do it. Don't worry," the blonde curled her lip, staring nervously into the darkness outside her window.  
\- Tell me, how did it all begin? - The mulatto tried to remain calm, but Betty couldn't help but notice how white her knuckles turned as she gripped the steering wheel with her knuckles.  
\- You already know Cheryl is an artist. She's gotten all kinds of messages and gifts from mildly insane people before, but this is different. A year ago, she started receiving messages from deleted accounts in which someone reasoned about her work like a true art connoisseur. Cher didn't give it much thought. Then came the expensive gifts, flowers, letters, all with no recipient. And worst of all, he always knew where she was. That all changed a couple of months ago. She went down to the living room in the morning where the table was set for her, at night someone snuck into her house and did this. The footage was deleted from the cameras. Cheryl changed security agencies, but it only got worse. Someone persisted in trying to contact her, and when she sent him away, he didn't stop. She woke up in the morning to find her precious hair on her pillow. Someone had cut off a few strands of it while she slept. Since then, Cheryl hasn't trusted anyone. She doesn't show it, but she's scared. More scared than ever since she chose to come back here and take refuge in the family mansion.  
\- What's wrong with this place? - It was as if Toni were trying to make a connection in her head between the redhead's behavior and the care with which her cousin spoke of her.  
\- Toni, I know she hasn't made the best impression on you, but deep down she's not what she wants to seem. She's a terrific person, it's just that our family and this place has caused her too much pain, and here she's literally known and hated by every dog..." Betty bit her lip, as if she regretted saying too much. They drove the rest of the way in silence.

The Twin Rivers police station's assignment looked as if no one was working here at all. Half the windows were covered with shutters, and the offices were empty. At the entrance, the girls met neither a secretary nor a deputy, which surprised Antoinette in particular.  
\- Sheriff Forsyth Jones. But you may call me Cormorant. To what do I owe the pleasure? - A grim-looking fellow in a big black hat greeted them from the end of the corridor, gesturing for them to enter his office.  
\- Sheriff Jones, may I ask you a question? How many people are in your department? - Betty began cautiously.  
\- Eight, to be exact. Three officers, three patrolmen, and my deputy. We're a small town. The funding is almost nonexistent. Maybe you can tell those guys upstairs Miss...?  
\- Cooper, Special Agent Betty Cooper, and this is Special Agent Antoinette Topaz," the blonde shook the sheriff's outstretched hand in a businesslike manner.  
\- To what do I owe the pleasure, agents?  
\- I'll be conducting an independent investigation here, here's a signed order from the prosecutor. I hope very much for your help," Toni similarly extended her hand to the guy and put the paper with the seal on the table.  
\- I'm afraid I can't help you if you don't tell me what this is all about," he shrugged irritably.  
\- Have you heard of the Lane County murder?  
\- The young girl? Wait, what was her name, Laura or maybe Lara? The same New York writer who came to write local history?  
\- That's right. Laura Palmer. We believe this murder is connected to our case," Toni pulled a picture of a smiling red-haired girl from her jacket pocket and leaned back in her chair, studying Jones' reaction.  
\- Do you think one of the locals did it? That's impossible. We have a very small town, everyone knows each other, if someone suspicious had come here he wouldn't have gone unnoticed," Cormorant took off his hat, running his hands through his hair.  
\- Anyway, it's up to us to find out," at this, Toni returned the picture to her pocket and stood up from her chair, "thank you very much for seeing us Sheriff Jones, we really hope to have your help.  
\- Yeah, anytime, ladies. When none of us are busy working, which happens, let me think, almost never," the sheriff growled irritably. 

\- I don't like this guy," said the mulatto irritably, getting behind the wheel.  
\- Neither do I, but I ain't got no choice. Where are you staying?  
\- Are you kidding? I dropped by your cousin's place as soon as I got into town.  
\- Then we're going to a motel. You must have passed it when you drove into town. 

The car stopped not far from a one-story gray motel. The bright sign, "Baitman's Cove," and the sign across the street, "There Are Places Available," were encouraging. At the office the girls were greeted by a sweet old lady in her sixties. Seeing their exhausted faces and badges, she assured them that accommodations and signing papers could be postponed until the morning, and now she and her husband were waiting for them in the house for a cup of tea.  
\- There may not be any hot water in the rooms, it's November, the boiler works every once in a while, but you can have a hot shower in our house," she smiled at the girls once more, inviting them to follow into the living room. Two large steaming mugs of tea and plates of meat pies were already waiting for them on the table.  
\- We rarely have guests here," the gray mustachioed man waved to them in greeting, "but we are happy to share a real home-cooked meal, you must be very tired from the road and hungry. My name is Bill Bytman, and this is my dear wife Norma.  
When the meal was over, Betty decided to shower first, leaving Tony alone with the lovely couple.  
\- Antoinette, you have a very pretty name," Bill grinned, your parents must be proud of you and your sister.  
\- Oh no, Betty is my partner, we are not related," somehow the mulatto was amused that the man was obviously either trying to flatter her or was just one of those harmless old men who really miss being with someone outside their circle. She walked around the living room, looking at the pictures of young boys and girls hanging in frames above the fireplace.  
\- Are these your children and grandchildren? - She pointed to the pictures.  
\- No, Miss Topaz, Bill and I gave up hope of being parents back in the '90s," Norma replied sadly.  
\- Oh, I'm so sorry, Mrs. Bightman.  
\- That's all right, daughter, you didn't know. And those boys, they were like children to us. Some were running from an abusive family, some from their own demons. When they found themselves on our motel doorstep, we always welcomed them with open arms and tried to give them everything we had. A roof over their heads, food, some seasonal work or a place to get help. Until they got back on their feet to continue their journey," Norma gently stroked a frame with a yellowed photo of a dark-haired boy. For some reason Toni thought she'd seen that picture somewhere before. She gave herself a mental reminder to check it out some other time.  
\- Who was this young man? - Toni pointed questioningly at the photo of the red-haired guy hanging at the top.  
\- That's Jason Blossom," something inside the girl clicked, "poor boy. Such a tragedy," the older woman wiped the dust off the surface of the gilded frame.  
\- Mrs. Bightman, can you tell me more about it? What happened to Jason? 

The woman sat down on the couch, inviting Tony to take a seat in the chair on the opposite side of the room.  
\- Antoinette, do you know why our town is called Twin Rivers? - Bill looked questioningly at the mulatto who shook her head negatively," Norma, will you please get us some more tea, because it's a long story. 

\- It translates literally as twin rivers and there really was once two of them, and in the middle was a settlement of indigenous people. Since ancient times, they respected this place because it gave them everything their soul could desire. A full-flowing river full of salmon allowed them to fish, maple groves provided them with timber, for which the people of other states paid generously. And when mines filled with coal were discovered in the South, the residents' business literally flew uphill. But this could not go unnoticed by outsiders. The town began to attract vultures. One of these was the Blossom family. By bribing the governor, they literally snatched themselves a decent chunk of local land, but they couldn't get enough. Against the bans and protests of the locals, they built a dam, destroying one part of the river in the process. This was not the way to do it. In so doing, they brought a terrible curse upon the city and its inhabitants. The rest of the riverbed became shallow and the fish began to die. Maple groves were cut down or burned in a huge fire that destroyed the southern part of the city along with the forest. There's almost nothing there even now. But the greedy Blossoms couldn't get enough of it. The old devil, Clifford Blossom, was tricking locals into buying up businesses that had burned down and selling them for nothing or because of pressure. This family was very influential, but even they could not resist the curse. It caught up with one of its finest members. Jason was not like his parents; he was a kind and unselfish boy. He helped the people of the town. And at 14, he showed up on our doorstep, asking for a job for the season and a roof over his head.  
\- At first we didn't understand why the richest kid in the state needed to earn money," Norma put a tray of cookies and a steaming mug of tea in front of Tony, "but then he told us he was afraid to stay in his own house and was very worried about his twin sister, that if he could earn some money, he would take her away from this place once and for all.  
\- And we helped, gave him a job and took him in like family," the gray-haired man continued sadly. But what happened next...it all happened so fast. On the Fourth of July, Jason asked me for our old boat to go fishing, and of course I let him. And by late afternoon a big storm had started and Jason still wasn't back by then. We went looking for him with Sheriff Jones involved. His son is running the place now. But the boy was no longer on the river. A week later, we found the wreckage of a boat, and a couple of days later, the boy's mutilated body. The flow of the river had carried him a little further, where the river turns into a dangerous mountain waterfall. Not even experienced divers could swim there, let alone a fourteen-year-old boy. So the place avenged the Blossoms for all their atrocities. Too bad the curse caught the most innocent of the twins..." Bill put his arm around his wife, who was crying quietly, wiping her tears with her apron.  
\- And what became of the older Blossoms? - Toni asked cautiously. She felt uneasy at the thought that it must have been very hard for Cheryl to lose her twin brother at such an early age.  
\- Penelope, Clifford's wife ran off with a young lover a year after the tragedy. Rumor has it that they never made it to their destination. The lover killed her for money and left her body to rot in one of the swamps in Lane County, but that's just a rumor. And Cliff himself could not stand such a shock, began to drink and quarrel very badly with his twin brother, Claudius. One day he just put a bullet in his mouth. But I don't believe it," Bill said quietly, "he was too much of a coward to do that to himself.  
\- What happened to Cheryl? - Toni asked breathlessly.  
\- Young Miss Cheryl was left all alone. The rest of the Blossoms had begun to flock to town to contest the girl's right to rule the family empire. She was very fortunate that her grandmother, aka the matriarch of the family, Rosana Blossom, took it upon herself to raise the girl.  
\- Norma, Bill, thank you so much for your hospitality and for the story! - Toni heartily shook the hand of the gray-haired man, who was still trying to reassure his wife.  
\- No problem, Antoinette, if you and Miss Cooper need anything, just let us know.

When the girls reached their room, the clock on the bedside table showed 2:45 a.m. Toni was so exhausted that she wanted to go to bed with her clothes on, but her inner perfectionism wouldn't let her. Quickly rinsing off her makeup and pulling on a loose T-shirt with the FBI emblem on it, she flopped down on the bed in relief, pulling the linen up to her chin  
\- Betty, are you awake? - the girl called softly.  
\- God, what do you want, Tony? I'm almost asleep," the blonde moaned.  
\- You say you and Cheryl are cousins, but that man, Bill Bateman didn't identify you as one of the Blossoms. What's the catch?  
\- Tony, your analytical skills are amazing," the mulatto woman smiled slightly as she turned to face Betty's bed.  
\- My grandfather was Blossom, and he was murdered by his brother. Since then, members of his family have severed all relations with relatives, and we moved to New York and took the last name Cooper. But you can't run away from family...when my father told me what had happened to Jason, and then to his parents, I felt madly sorry for my cousin. She didn't deserve shit like that. Rosana was one of the few family members who really had any humanity at all, she kept in touch with everyone in the family, even those who no longer wanted to be a part of it. She was the one who asked my father to take care of Cher if anything happened to her..." Betty's voice turned to an inaudible mumble, the girl was falling asleep.  
Toni lay on her back staring at the ceiling. The information she had learned today was too much for one day. As she fell asleep, she thought that this strange place would amaze her with its secrets more than once.


End file.
